High chairs are used to place children in a seated position at a comfortable height at a table for eating, playing, drawing, or other activities. A variety of high chairs are available, one of which is a high chair that is independently supportable with legs. Such high chairs typically include support legs that are of such height so as to place the seat part of the chair at the proper elevation. To prevent a child from climbing out and/or possibly falling out of the high chair, a backrest, a pair of armrests, and a front support member are provided. The armrests and the backrests are high so that a child cannot fall out of the high chair. Additionally, the front support member prevents a child from sliding or falling out of the front of the high chair. Most high chairs also include some type of restrain mechanism, such as seat belts, to prevent a child from climbing out of the high chair.
Besides being used in residential settings, high chairs are also used in commercial establishments such as restaurants. Restaurant high chairs are typically stackable so as to conserve storage space. Additionally, these high chairs are simple in construction and do not have the convenient mechanisms of personal high chairs, such as height adjustment, reclining features, removable eating tray, and the ability to fold or collapse for storage. Restaurant high chairs are typically constructed from wood and include four legs, a backrest, a seat area, a foot support bar, a front support bar, and armrests. Additionally, the longitudinally aligned rear and front legs of these high chairs are typically connected by a support brace.
Restaurant high chairs may be placed on the ground in an upside down orientation. In such a position, the high chair can be stably maintained on the backrest and the armrests, and possibly the front support bar. These high chairs are typically used in such an upside down position in order to support a child's car seat. In the upside down position, the child's car seat can be placed and rested in the space between the legs.
The height of restaurant high chairs is such that a child is generally placed at a proper height when sitting in the high chair, which is placed near a table. Such height typically positions the top of the arm rests at or above the height of the table. Accordingly, the closest a high chair can be placed relative to a table is a position where the front part of the arm rests contact the edge of the table. As a result, a child must bend forward to reach the food that is placed on the table. Additionally, restaurant high chairs do not have a tray. Accordingly, if the child drops or spill the food during eating, the food will fall on his lap or legs because of the distance between the child and the table.
The function of the foot support bar is to allow a child to rest his or her feet while sitting in the high chair. However, the foot support bar can encourage or allow a child to engage in unsafe play. A child can use the foot support bar to stand. Accordingly, if the child bends too far forward, backward or sideways, the high chair may tip and possible collapse. A child can also use the foot support bar to stand and try to get out of the high chair. In such a scenario, the high chair can tip and collapse as described, or the child may fall out of the high chair.
Regarding the side support braces of typical restaurant high chairs, when these chairs are being carried, a person typically holds one of the armrests of the chair and rests the upper part of the chair on his or her hip. Accordingly, the support brace contacts the person's legs. As a result, the lateral movement of the high chair caused by the person walking with the high chair causes repeated impact between the person's leg and the support brace. Additionally, carrying the high chair with the support brace contacting a person's leg moves the center of gravity of the person from his or her spine to an ergonomically unsafe position that may cause back injury. Furthermore, the support brace may encourage a child or be used by a child to climb into the high chair. Depending on the weight of the child, the high chair may pivot sideways and collapse to possibly injure the child.
Furthermore, inverting the current restaurant-type high chairs to support a child's car seat creates unsafe circumstances. For example, because the upper part of the high chair may be much narrower than the space between the legs, placing a child's car seat between the legs of the high chair shifts the center of gravity of the high chair upward, thereby creating an unstable platform. Accordingly, the high chair and the child's car seat may collapse and cause injury to the child. Additionally, the wide space between the legs can obstruct walkways between tables in commercial establishments, such as restaurants.
In view of the above, there is a need for a high chair that can remedy one or more of the above described problems associated with current high chairs.